Mostly mono- or disyllabic vocal sounds made by birds to communicate with other members of the group or family (e.g., an alarm call). When uttered in a longer series, they are without any clear organisation or bursts of definite length (the series continues as long as the external circumstances and state of the bird dictate), in contrast to singing. Call-notes are thus concerned with the co-ordination of behaviour in situations of maintenance activities (feeding, flocking, response to predators) and do not vary with the season under influence of sex hormones, in the contrast to song which is related to sex-drive and a form of sexual display. See also: song.

Alternative forms for call : call-note, call-notes, calls.